Upgrades For Northern And Jubilee Lines Have Been Brought To A Halt By Transport for London
The title of this post is the same as that of this article in City AM. This is the first paragraph.
Planned upgrades for the Northern and Jubilee Lines have been paused by Transport for London (TfL), though train drivers’ union Aslef says they will be cancelled entirely.
But is it such a disaster?
The Jubilee and othern Lines need more trains to increase the service frquencies. This is said in the article.
The Northern Line upgrade plan was to buy 17 additional trains so the Northern Line could run a 30 trains per hour service on all branches of the line, while the Jubilee Line would have had 10 new trains to operate a 36 trains per hour service.
So it looks like twenty-seven new trains are needed.
The Central Line Train Upgrade
This article on Railway-news.com is untitled London Underground’s Central Line Trains Set For Upgrade.
Currently, the Central Line‘s 1992 Stock have DC motors, which will be replaced by more efficient motors and a sophisticated control system.
The cost of the upgrade will be £112.1 million or about £1.3 million per train.
Transport for London are only making a reliability claim for the upgrade. Hopefully, if the trains are more reliable, then more can be in service. so can a higher frequency be run?
I also think in addition, the trains could possibly accelerate faster from stops, thus reducing the dwell times at stations and ultimately the journey times.
- Epping to West Ruislip currently takes ninety minutes with 38 stops.
- Ealing Broadway to Newbury Park takes sixty minutes with 24 stops.
- Northolt to Loughton takes sixty-seven minutes with 28 stops.
Saving just ten seconds on each stop will reduce journey times by several minutes.
I suspect that Transport for London will rearrange the timetable to increase the service frequency from the current twenty-four trains per hour (tph).
It will be interesting to see what frequency of trains and journey times are achieved, when all the Central Line trains have been updated.
The Victoria Line Upgrade Of 2016
In 2016, the Victoria Line track was upgraded at Walthamstow Central station, so that services could be increased to thirty six tph.
The Problem Of Ordering A Small Batch Of Unique Trains
This article on London Reconnections is entitled Third World Class Capacity: Cancelling Tube Upgrades.
The article talks about the problems of building small batches of unique trains and I would conclude they will be expensive, unless you could find some way of not buying them.
Could The Jubilee And Northern Line Trains And Stations Be Upgraded To Increase The Capacity And Avoid The Need For More Trains?
I’ve no idea, but I suspect that Transport for London have looked into the possibility.
The Jubilee Line
Currently, the Jubilee Line is worked by sixty-three 1996 Stock trains.
Wikipedia gives a good description of the Traction Control of the trains. This is the first sentence.
1995 and 1996 stocks have similar body shells but they use different AC traction control systems. The 1995 stock system is more modern, since the 1996 stock design specification was frozen in 1991.
This gives me the impression, that a more modern traction control system could improve the train performance, as electronics have moved on in the last twenty years.
The Northern Line
Currently, the Northern Line is worked by one hundred and six 1995 Stock trains.
Upgrading The Traction Control
I wonder if the most economic way is to update the traction control on both sets of trains with the same system.
If the upgrade needed new AC motors at the Central Line cost £1.3 million a train, would give total cost of around £220 million.
Upgrading The Stations
I suspect that Transport for London will upgrade the stations with Harrington Humps and other facilities to make train loading and unloading easier and less likely to delay the train.
I suspect that all the lessons learned in raising the Victoria Line to 36 tph will be applied.
Crossrail And The Jubilee Line
Crosrail appears to have been designed, so that it works in co-operation with London’s older Underground lines.
When considering Crossrail’s relationship with the Jubilee Line, the following must be taken into account.
- The two lines have interchanges at Bond Street, Canary Wharf and Stratford stations.
- Crossrail has good connections to the Metropolitan and Baskerloo Lines, which in North-West London serve Jubilee Line territory.
Perhaps more importantly, there is a cross-platform interchange at Whitechapel between the two Eastern branches of Crossrail. This will give passengers an easy route between Sssex and Canary Wharf.
These features should divert passengers away from the Jubilee Line.
Will this make upgrading the Jubilee Line, less urgent?
London Bridge Station, Thameslink And The Jubilee Line
One of the problems with the Jubilee Line is that you have to walk miles to get to the platforms at some stations.
London Bridge and Waterloo stations are bad examples.
These two stations are now connected by a fourteen tph link across the South Bank, which goes from London Bridge to Charing Cross via Waterloo East.
I use the route regularly back from Waterloo, as I can get a 141 bus to my home at London Bridge station.
Next year, when Thameslink is fully open even more passengers will be able to avoid the Jubilee Line.
And then there’s West Hampstead Interchange!
If this station were to be created to link all the lines together at West Hampstead, it would also create a second connection between Thameslink and the Jubilee Line.
The Splitting Of The Northern Line
Once Camden Town and Bank stations have been upgraded in 2025, the Northern Line will become two separate lines, with cross-platform interchange at Camden Town and Kennington stations. This will enable thirty-six tph on both branches and allow trains to be used more efficiently.
I do wonder, if in the detailed design and planning of the station extension at Camden Town, has shown that the split can be performed earlier, thus efficient train usage can start earlier.
Thameslink And The Northern Line
My late wife used to live in Barnet until we were married.
From that area in the 1960s, you could either take the Northern Line from High Barnet station or the two tph local train into Kings Cross from Oakleigh Park or New Barnet stations.
The local rail service is now three tph to Moorgate. Not a great improvement in fifty years!
However, things are changing at New Barnet and Oakleigh Park stations.
- New trains and an uprated service into Moorgate.
- Thameslink will add a two tph service to Sevenoaks.
Will these developments take a small amount of pressure off the Northern Line?
The Provision Of Depot Space
One of the disadvantages of buying more trains, would be that the depots would need to be expanded, so they could be stored.
London is a crowded city, which is short of land.
So is this a problem?
Londoners
Londoners are World Champions at ducking and diving!
So don’t underestimate their abilities to find the quickest routes that take the pressure off the Jubilee and Northern Lines.
Replacing The Whole Jubilee And Northern Fleets
It is intended that new trains will be in service on the Piccadilly Line around 2022. Wikipedia says this about Siemens proposal for the trains.
Siemens has publicised an outline design, which would feature air-conditioning and would also have battery power enabling the train to run on to the next station if third and fourth rail power were lost. It would have a lower floor and 11% higher passenger capacity than the present tube stock. There would be a weight saving of 30 tonnes, and the trains would be 17% more energy-efficient with air-conditioning included, or 30% more energy-efficient without it.
By the end of the 2020s, the Jubilee and Northern Line trains will be over thirty years old, and by then the two lines will be in need of even more capacity.
Replacing the current trains with a London-proven new train would surely be a distinct possibility.
Conclusion
The more I look at whether the top-up order for new trains is needed, the more I’m convinced it isn’t!
Along The Golden Mile
London used to have a Golden Mile in Brentford, which used to be a string of Art Deco buildings.
As the pictures show, a lot of them have gone and been replaced with modern buildings.
The Brentford Branch Line
You can clearly see where the Brentford Branch Line terminated to the right of Currys and the footbridge.
Hounslow Council is proposing to reopen the branch line and Wikipedia says this.
n April 2017, it was proposed that the line could reopen to allow a new link between Southall to Hounslow and possibly down to the planned Old Oak Common station with a new station in Brentford called Brentford Golden Mile. [5][6] The proposals suggest the service could be operated by Great Western Railway and could be open by 2020 with a new service from Southall to Hounslow and possible later to Old Oak Common.
This map from carto.metro.free.fr shows the lines.
This Google Map shows the area.
Note.
- The old track of the railway by Currys PC World and the footbridge over the Great West Road.
- The Hounslow Loop Line going across the South-East corner of the map.
- I’m not sure that a connection between the two lines would be a practical proposition.
Surely though, there is a better way to connect the Golden Mile to Old Oak Common!
The Brentford Branch Line connects to Crossrail at Southall station.
If the connection was fully step-free, then the Brentford Branch Line would have an easy connection to all of Crossrail’s stations, including Old Oak Common and Heathrow.
A Safety Fence At Barnes Station
I noticed this barrier at Barnes station and I just had to investigate.
I don’t like being on the platform, when a train speeds through. Not that the Class 66 locomotive in the pctures was going fast.
This barrier will allow you to duck through and hang on to fence.
Teams Of Even Gender Mix Perform Best, NR Finds
The title of this post is the same as the title of this article in Rail Technology Magazine.
Interesting stuff!
London Railway Upgrades – A Progress Report
The title of this post is the same as this article on IanVisits.
It is a comprehensive report, but for me the highlight is this paragraph.
At Bank, the new direct entrance to the Waterloo & City line is due to open in December – with 21st December pencilled in as the target date.
Finally the Drain is being transformed into a SuperDrain.
New Railway Line For West London Proposed
The title of this post is the same as this article on Ian Visits.
I’ve also found this article on the Hendon Times, where the railway line is called the West London Orbital Railway.
The West London Orbital Railway now has a section in the Wikipedia entry for the Dudding Hill Line, which is entitled West London Orbital Railway Proposal. This is said.
In September 2017, a proposal for a new West Orbital Railway from Hounslow to Hendon using the disused Dudding Hill Line could go via a new station at Old Oak Common which would be located at Victoria Road and other new stations at Staples Corner, Harlesden and Old Oak Common Victoria Road. 4 trains per hour would run from Hendon to Hounslow and another service from Hendon to Kew Bridge via Old Oak Common.
The proposal seems to be creeping into the media.
The Preamble
I will describe a few of the lines in the area first.
The Dudding Hill Line
The Dudding Hill Line is one of London’s unknown and almost forgotten railway lines.
- It is just four miles long.
- It is double track.
- It runs from the Midland Main Line, North of Cricklewood station to the North London Line at Acton.
- It is not electrified.
- Signalling is not electrified.
- It is part of a freight route, which connects the Gospel Oak to Barking Line with the Great Western Main Line.
- It is connected to the West Coast Main Line and the Chiltern Main Line.
Passenger services ceased in 1902, although even today the occasional charter service uses the line.
This map from carto.metro.free.fr shows the Dudding Hill Line.
Note.
- How the line joins the Midland Main Line in a triangular junction, which is North of Criklewood station, enabling North and South connections.
- How the line crosses the Chiltern Main Line by Neasden station.
- How the line crosses the electrified West Coast Main Line by Harlesden station.
- How the line joins the North London Line just North of the electrified Great Western Main Line.
This connectivity makes it a very useful freight line.
The Hendon Freight Lines
These two lines run on the Western side of the Midland Main Line between West Hampstead Thameslink and Hendon stations,
North of Hendon they cross the tracks of the Midland Main Line on a flyover and merge with the Slow Lines at Silkstream Junction.
This map from carto.metro.free.fr shows the lines at Hendon.
The Hendon Freight Lines have following properties.
- They are only partially electrified.
- They have double-track connections from the North to the Dudding Hill Line, which is named the Brent Curve and Brent Curve Junction.
- They have double-track connections from the South to the Dudding Hill Line, which is named the Cricklewood Curve and Cricklewood Curve Junction.
- As shown at Hendon in the map, the Hendon Up Line passes behind Platform 4 at Hendon, Cricklewood and West Hampstead Thameslink stations.
The innovative use of these lines will be an important part of the proposal for a new passenger service in West London.
The Gospel Oak To Barking Line
The Gospel Oak To Barking Line and the Dudding Hill Line are linked together by the Midland Main Line,
- Between the two lines is fully electrified
- The Gospel Oak to Barking Line will be electrified from May 2018.
- The connecting lines between the Midland Main Line and the Gospel Oak to Barking Line are being electrified around Carlton Road Junction.
This will enable electrified freight trains from East London to the Midlands, using the following route.
- Gospel Oak To Barking Line
- Carlton Road Junction
- Midland Main Line.
Note that there is no flyover between Carlton Road Junction and the Dudding Hill Line, which means they have to cross the Midland Main Line on the flat.
For this reason, electrified freight trains for the West Coast Main Line and the Great Western Main Line must probably take the North London Line from Gospel Oak station.
This probably rules out passenger services between Barking and Acton, using the Dudding Hill Line.
However passenger trains from East London could continue up the Midland Main Line to a suitable terminal.
Class 710 Trains
The Class 710 trains that will be delivered for the Gospel Oak to Barking Line have the following characteristics.
- They are Aventras
- They are dual-voltage and can operate on both 25 KVAC overhead and 750 VDC third-rail electrification.
- They may be fitted with onboard energy storage to operate without electrification for a few miles.
If the last point is true, they will be able to run between West Hamsted Thameslink or Hendon and South Acton stations, with a change of voltage at Acton Central station, using onboard energy storage on the Dudding Hill Line.
The Proposal
The West London Railway has been proposed by a consortium of West London Councils and other interests, that the Dudding Hill Line be reopened to passenger trains.
- ,Services would start in the North at either the proposed Brent Cross Thameslink station or West Hampstead Thameslink station.
- New stations could be built at Gladstone Park and/or Neasden, Harlesden and Old Oak Common,
- The service could be running by the mid-2020s.
The passenger service would open in two phases.
- West Hampstead to Hounslow via Cricklewood, Neasden, Harlesden, OOC, Acton Central, South Acton, Brentford, Syon Lane and Isleworth.
- Hendon to Kew Bridge via Hendon, Brent Cross/Staples Corner, Neasden, Harlesden, OOC, Acton Central and South Acton.
Four trains per hour (tph) would run on both routes.
How Does The Proposal Stack Up?
In the following sub-sections, I’ll discuss the various issues.
Track And Signalling
This is said about the current state of track and signalling in Wikipedia.
In 2009, the track has received considerable maintenance in parts, including complete track and ballast removal and replacement. It was informally thought locally by Network Rail staff that replacement signalling, controlled from Upminster, was planned for Christmas 2010, leading to the closure of the three signal boxes (staffed 24-hours a day, at least during the working week). However, financial constraints within Network Rail have now delayed this timescale.
It looks like the track is in good condition, but the signalling needs replacing.
How Would The Service Be Run?
The Hendon Freight Lines connect to the Dudding Hill Line to give all possible access needed.
It should also be relatively easy to put a single platform on the Up Hendon Line at the following stations.
- West Hampstead – It would act as a terminus.
- Cricklewood
- Brent Cross – When the station is built.
- Hendon – It could act as a terminus.
The new platforms would have the following characteristics.
- They would probably be numbered 5.
- They would probably be able to share platform access and other services with current Platform 4 at each station.
- Little demolition of existing buildings and structures would be required.
A Phase One service coming North from Neasden could do the following.
- Take the Cricklewood Curve from the Dudding Hill Line.
- Join the Up Hendon Line.
- Stop in the new Platform 5 at Cricklewood.
- Continue on the Up Hendon Line to the new Platform 5 at West Hampstead Thameslink.
- Reverse the train at West Hampstead.
- Proceed to and stop in Platform 5 at Cricklewood. Existing cross-overs would allow use of both Hendon Lines.
- Cross over to the Down Hendon Line and take the Cricklewood Curve to rejoin the Dudding Hill Line.
As the service is four tph, provided a train can leave and return to the Dudding Hill Line in fifteen minutes, there should be no problem.
Currently, Cricklewood to West Hampstead takes three minutes, so the Phase One service looks possible.
The Phase Two service to Hendon could do the following.
- Take the Brent Curve from the Dudding Hill Line.
- Join the Up Hendon Line.
- Stop in the new Platform 5 at Hendon.
- Reverse the train at Hendon
- Take the Brent Curve to rejoin the Dudding Hill Line
It looks to be a simple plan, that makes good use of the existing infrastructure.
- Building the extra platforms at Hendon, Cricklewood and West Hampstead shouldn’t be difficult.
- The new routes don’r cross the Midland Main Line.
- The Hendon Lines seem to have plenty of cross-overs and I don’t think any new ones are needed.
- Dual voltage trains would be at home on all existing electrification.
At the Southern end of the route, everything appears fairly simple.
Why Are There Two Phases?
If it’s so simple, why is the service proposed to have two phases?
Look at this map from carto.map.free.fr, which shows the railways around Brent Cross.
The development of Brent Cross Cricklewood and the building of Brent Cross Thameslink station is going to be a massive undertaking. This describes the development in Wikipedia.
Brent Cross Cricklewood is a planned new town centre development in Hendon and Cricklewood, London, United Kingdom. The development is planned to cost around £4.5 billion to construct and will include 7,500 homes, 4,000,000 sq ft (370,000 m2) of offices, four parks, transport improvements and a 592,000 sq ft (55,000 m2) extension of Brent Cross Shopping Centre. The developers of the scheme are Hammerson and Standard Life. Construction is planned to start in 2018 and be completed in 2021-22
The development will include the building of Brent Cross Thameslink station and the redevelopment of Cricklewood station.
Looking at the Phase One route to West Hampstead Thameslink, the following applies.
- The route doesn’t go past the Brent Cross development.
- The terminal platform at West Hampstead Thameslink would be step-free with a lift.
- The Up Hendon Line is electrified at \West Hampstead Thameslink, but it is not at Hendon.
- Hendon station needs a lot of work to make it step-free.
- West Hampstead Thameslink could be part of a growing West Hampstead Interchange with excellent connections.
- The service could even go straight through Cricklewood station, until it was redeveloped.
It would thus appear that for an easy and affordable construction, the service should serve West Hampstead Thameslink first.
Once Brent Cross Thameslink station is open, Hendon and Kew Bridge stations are updated, Phase Two can open.
Electrification
The electrification of the twelve mile route on the Chase Line between Rugeley and Walsall was budgeted at £78 million.
So hopefully, the four miles of the Dudding Hill Line should be able to be electrified for a reasonable cost.
Consider.
- The track is in reasonable condition and probably well-surveyed.
- There are a few bridges that might need to be raised.
- There are no stations to electrify, just provision to be made.
- Both ends of the route are electrified.
- The route connects to three electrified main lines.
- Electrification of the line would cause little if any disruption to passenger services.
I think that the needs of electrified freight will decide whether this route is electrified.
A Passenger Service Without Electrification
Dudding Hill Line Electrification is not necessary to run s passenger service using Class 710 trains.
- Class 710 trains with onboard energy storage could easily bridge the four-mile electrification gap between the Midland Main Line and the North London Line.
- There would be no problem charging the onboard energy storage at each end of the routes.
- At various places, Aventras will share station platforms with Thameslink’s Class 700 trains and the North London Line’s Class 378 trains, so there should be no station issues.
- From Acton Central to Hounslow and Kew Bridge, the trains would use the third-rail electrification.
Class 710 trains wouldn’t mind if the line is electrified or not.
Stations
The following stations will need to be built or modified.
- Brent Cross Thameslink – New station to be built as part of large development – Might need a platform suitable for use as a terminus.
- Gladstone Park – New station on the site of the old Dudding Hill station – Might be and/or with Neasden.
- Harlesden – New station – Could be linked to the existing station on the Bakerloo Line?
- Hendon – Existing station – Might need a platform suitable for use as a terminus.
- Hounslow – Existing station – Might need a platform suitable for use as a terminus.
- Kew Bridge – Existing station – A new terminus platform would need to be added.
- Neasden – New station – Could be linked to the existing station on the Jubilee Line?
- Old Oak Common – New station to be built as part of large development
- West Hampstead Thameslink – Existing station – Might need a platform suitable for use as a terminus.
The next sections give my thoughts on specific stations.
Brent Cross Thameslink Station
Brent Cross Thameslink station is a planned new station to serve the £4.5 billion Brent Cross Cricklewood development in the area.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see this station built as a close-to-London interchange station, in much the same way as Clapham Junction and Abbey Wood stations work and will work in South London.
At a minimum it will have the following characteristics.
- Two slow platforms for Thameslink services.
- Two fast platforms for long distance services.
- Extra platforms for future services.
- Full step-free access.
The design of the station will be key to extra services using the Midland Main Line.
Cricklewood Station
This Google Map shows the layout of Cricklewood station.
These pictures show the station.
Cricklewood station is one of four stations that need to be modified or built with a Platform 5 on the Up Hendon Line.
The station is also not step-free and this will probably be added in the redevelopment of the station to serve the Brent Cross Cricklewood development..
Harlesden Station
This Google Map shows the layout of Harlesden station.
The Dudding Hill Line runs down the map at the right and it crosses the shared tracks of the Watford DC Line and the Bakerloo Line, just to the West of Harlesden station.
These pictures show the station.
I think that, I am being very truthful, if I said that Harlesden station is not one of the London Underground’s finest stations. Ian in his article said this.
The other station, at Harlesden could also see the old station of the same name rebuilt, but again, the freight line runs close to the current Harlesden station, so a combined building would again be likely, this time with just a modest footbridge needed to link the new platforms to the existing station.
I very much feel that a station can be built at Harlesden on the other side of Acton Lane, that has platforms on both the Watford DC/Bakerloo Lines and the Dudding Hill Line. The high level platforms on the would be connected by steps and/or lifts to the low-level ones.
The new station could even be built without closing any of the lines and once completed the old Harlesden station could be demolished.
It would have the following services.
- Three tph between Watford Junction and Euston.
- Nine tph on the Bakerloo Line
- Four tph between West Hampstead Thameslink and Hounslow.
- Four tph between Hendon and Kew Bridge
The last two proposed services would provide an eight tph service to Old Oak Common for Crossrail, HS2, the North London Line and most importantly, a very healthy amount of employment opportunities.
Hendon Station
This Google Map shows the layout of Hendon station.
These pictures show the station.
Note.
- The footbridge is not step-free.
- The footbridge is used to support the electrification.
- The electrified fast lines in Platforms 3 and 4.
- The electrified slow lines in Platforms 1 and 2.
- The two freight lines without electrification behind the white metal fence on Platform 4.
In my view, this needs to be done.
- Make the station step-free.
- Build a Platform 5 on the Up Hendon Line, that backs onto Platform 4, so it can share steps and the lift.
- Electrify the line through the platform.
The created Platform 5, will be the terminus of the Phase Two service to Kew Bridge.
Hounslow Station
This Google Map shows the layout of Hounslow station.
These pictures show the station.
It will be tight to fit a bay platform into the station, but I suspect, it will be placed on the Up (London-bound) side of the station, in what is now an access road and yard to some business premises, where one is labelled Resco Living.
- It will need some changes to the cross-overs at the station to allow trains to access the new platform.
- The station needs a new step-free bridge.
This Google Map shows Hounslow station’s location with respect to Heathrow.
Hounslow station is in the bottom right-hand corer of the map.
I do wonder if Hounslow station, needs a frequent bus to Heathrow Airport. After all the extra four train per hour across London will make it a very busy station.
Kew Bridge Station
This Google Map shows the layout of the lines and the location of Kew Bridge station.
Note.
- The triangal of lines, of which only the bottom side has any trains.
- The top angle leads to South Acton station.
- The proposed Phase One service would use the left side of the triangle.
- The proposed Phase Two service to Kew Bridge would use the right side of the triangle and terminate in a reopened platform at Kew Bridge station.
These pictures show the station.
The work needed at Kew Bridge station would appear to be very simple.
- Reinstate the former Platform 3 to handle four tph.
- Replace the footbridge with a better step-free example.
It would also appear that there is a siding to the East of the station, that could be used to reverse trains if necessary.
This map from carto.metro.free.fr shows the lines at Kew.
As Brentford’s new stadium and other large developments are being built in the area, I wonder if the proposed Phase One Hounslow service should call at a reopened Kew station.
Neasden Station
This Google Map shows the layout of Neasden station.
And this map from carto.metro.free.fr shows the lines at the station.
These pictures show the station.
Ian says this about Neasden in his article.
The station at Gladstone Park could see the disused station called Dudding Hill brought back into use, although the likelyhood is that a new station closer to Neasden on the Jubilee line would be favoured for the shorter interchange walk.
There may even be enough space to flip the existing Neasden station southwards and link up with the new Overground line to create a single station linking the two lines.
Whether the funding for that would be available will doubtless depend on getting new housing developers to pick up some of the bill.
There are certainly possibilities.
A combined station would give the following services.
- Upwards of twenty tph on the Jubilee Line
- Four tph between West Hampstead Thameslink and Hounslow.
- Four tph between Hendon and Kew Bridge
The last two proposed services would provide an eight tph service to Old Oak Common for Crossrail, HS2, the North London Line and most importantly, a very healthy amount of employment opportunities.
Old Oak Common Station
Old Oak Common station will be a major interchange between the following lines and services.
- Crossrail
- HS2
- Great Western Main Line
- West Coast Main Line
- Chiltern Tailways
- Bakerloo Line
- Central Line
- North London Line
- West London Line
Whoever sorts this lot out, deserves a Turner Prize.
But after seeing some very complicated stations in both the UK and Europe, I believe that it would be possible to create a station that provided easy step-free interchange between the various lines without walking halfway round the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.
Connecting the West London Orbital Railway to Crossrail would be a very valuable interchange.
West Hampstead Thameslink Station
This Google Map shows the layout of West Hampstead Thameslink station.
These pictures show the station.
Note.
- In the Google Map, the lines are Slow, Fast and Freight from top to bottom.
- The station is fully step-free.
- The freight lines are electrified.
- The last picture shows how the other West Hampstead stations are being improved.
In my view, all that needs to be done is build Platform 5 for the Phase One service behind Platform 4, so that it can share the steps and the lift.
As other improvements are appearing, West Hampstead will become an important interchange. It’s now got the absolute necessity for a Grade A Interchange; an Marks and Spencer Food Store.
Employment, Housing And Social Benefits
In the seven years since I moved to Dalston, the area has improved considerably.
- New apartment blocks have appeared.
- The shops, restaurants and cafes have got better.
- It also appears to me, that the amount of idle youths hanging around has reduced.
I put a lot of all this, down to considerable investment in both buses and railways. It’s probably not surprising as the London Borough of Hackney doesn’t have an Underground station of its own.
The Overground has been a conspicuous success, offering train services of the following nature.
- Safe, clean stations.
- Visible, well-trained staff.
- New modern trains.
- Train services at a frequency of four tph.
The only problem, is that every time the capacity is expanded it quickly fills.
But then that is only new travellers opting for quality.
On Sunday, I took a ride on top of a bus between Willesden Green and Harlesden stations. These are some pictures I took.
The two most impressive buildings I passed were Courts.
It is my belief that after my experience in Dalston, that improving the transport links in an area of deprivation improves the area considerably, in any number of ways, some of which are rather surprising.
From speaking to people in Dalston, decent reliable transport links seem to have the benefit that those who are unemployed often benefit substantially, by being able to get to nre-found work easily and on time.
So if the proposed line is built with stations at Neasden, Harlesden and Old Oak Common will we see the improvement in North West London, that the Overground has brought to Dalston?
Unfortunately, the only way to test my theory is to build the line.
Building The Line
This is no Crossrail or HS2, where billions need to be spent.
The three largest sub-projects would be.
- Electrification of the Dudding Hill Line, if it is to be done.
- Resignalling of the Dudding Hill Line.
- Necessary track replacement and updating.
In addition, there are around ten station projects.
There will also be a need for up to perhaps sixteen Class 710 trains. This could be around £90-100 million.
Other Possible Rail Services
It might be possible to connect the West London Orbital Railway to other rail services and stations.
Changing At Old Oak Common
All stations on the West London Orbital Railway will have at least a four tph connection to Old Oak Common, with Harlesden and Neasden having an eight tph connection.
Provided that the connection at Old Oak Common is well-designed, I think passengers will be happy to change here for the following services.
- Six tph on Crossrail to Heathrow.
- Twelve tph on Crossrail to Central London.
- West Coast Main Line
- HS2
- Chiltern
- North London Line
- West London Line
I’ve left out the Bakerloo and Central Lines, as it will probably be quicker to take Crossrail and change.
Thameslink And The Midland Main Line
All stations on the West London Orbital Railway will have at least a four tph connection to Thameslink, with Harlesden and Neasden having two separate four tph connections.
Depending on how the new East Midlands franchise arranges services, it might also be possible change onto some services to Derby, Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield.
Hopefully, the interchange will be step-free. West Hampstead Thameslink already is step-free and I would assume Brent Cross Thameslink will be built that way!
A direct connection from Midland Main Line or Thameslink services to the West London Orbital Railway may be possible, but the current track layout would appear to make it difficult.
Changing At Hounslow And Kew Bridge
The two Southern termini are on the Hounslow Loop Line, which gives valuable connections in South West London, including Clapham Junction.
Affect On Other Services
The West London Orbital Railway affects other passenger services in two places.
The North London Line Through Acton Central And South Acton
Acton Central and South Acton stations on the North London Line are both served by a four tph service between Stratford and Richmond.
- There are also other trains.
- Both stations also have a level crossing.
So would it be possible to fit the eight tph of the West London Orbital Railway through this section of the North London Line?
I suspect the answer is positive, otherwise the impossibility would have killed the proposal.
The Hounslow Loop Line Between Kew Bridge And Hounslow
This section of line has a four tph service in both directions, so it should be able to handle an extra four tph.
Collateral Benefits
There are some benefits to existing services.
Services Through Acton
The two Acton stations; Acton Central and South Acton, receive a big boost to services.
Currently, they have just four tph between Stratford and Richmond.
After Phase Two of the West Ortbital Railway is complete, these servicesc will be added.
- Four tph between West Hampstead Thameslink and Hounslow
- Four tph between Hendon and Kew Bridge
All twelve tph will stop at Old Oak Common.
Major Developments Get New Or Improved Rail Connections
The following developments get new or improved rail connections.
- Brent Cross Cricklewood
- Old Oak Common
- Brentford
How many housing and commercial developments will the passenger serviceencourage?
Conclusion
I believe that the West London Orbital Railway is an elegant proposal.
- No new track or electrification, just signalling and stations.
- Four tph on two routes through areas of London that need much better public transport.
- It links to the major rail hub at Old Oak Common for Crossrail and HS2.
- It can be built without major disruption to existing services.
- It can use the London Overground’s standard Class 710 trains.
- It is very much a self-contained railway, that has little chance to affect existing services.
But above all, it is very much an affordable proposal, with a projected high return.
Self-Driving Trains Will Run Every 2½ Minutes On Main Lines
This is the title of an article in today’s copy of The Times.
The main line in question is the Thameslink route though central London.
Some will cynically groan and mutter that this will be another excuse for labour troubles.
However, this is said in the article.
Aslef, the train drivers’ union, has supported the use of the system if a driver is retained on all services. It cautions, though, against the use of the technology on other parts of the Victorian network outside central London.
If you look at the titmetable between St. Pancras and Blackfriars station from 09:00 to 10:00 on a Monday morning, then nine trains will pass along the route.
After the 2½ minute headway is introduced, this will be increased to twenty-four trains per hour (tph).
I think that just on the number of trains per hour, this would mean a substantial increase of train crew. If the factor were to be 24/9, that would be a near 170% increase in train crew.
Surely, Aslef won’t find that unacceptable!
If this use of modern signalling technology should work according to specification, surely we will be seeing it on other busy sections of the UK rail network. It is already gong to be used on Crossrail, but there are other places, where it would probably be beneficial.
- Between Wimbledon and Waterloo.
- On the Ordsall Chord in Manchester.
- Between Edinburgh and Glasgow.
- Between Shenfield and Liverpool Street.
- East London Line between Dalston Junction and Surrey Quays
Note that money has already been allocated by Chris Gtayling to do a study to see if Transpennine services would benefit from this type of modern signalling.
Not all of these routes will be operating at twenty-four tph, however some will surely see a great improvement in services.
The East London Line
The East London Line will be running twenty tph from 2020.
Sir Marc Brunel and his famous son; Isambard would be astonished at the capacity of their Thames Tunnel, that was started in the 1820s and opened in 1843.
The Ordsall Chord
The Ordsall Chord will connect Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Oxford Road, Deansgate, Salford Central and Manchester Victoria stations with a high capacity double-track railway through the centre of Manchester. But it is also entangled with other routes in the area.
- Manchester Victoria to Bolton via Salford Central and Salford Crescent.
- Manchester Victoria to Liverpool via Salford Central and Chat Moss.
- Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly to Bolton via Manchester Oxford Road, Deansgate and Salford |Crescent.
- Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly to Liverpool via Manchester Oxford Road, Deansgate and Chat Moss
- Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly to Warrington via Manchester Oxford Road and Deansgate
Probably the highest frequency will be between Deansgate and Manchester Piccadilly, where according to Wikipedia, the following services will run.
- Four tph between Manchester Airport and Manchester Victoria via Manchester Piccadilly.
- Six tph between Manchester Piccadilly and Chat Moss or Bolton and Preston.
But that is for starters and if Thameslink is anything to go by, trains on one side of Manchester and Salford will be linked to trains on the other side of the conurbation to release platform space at both Manchester Victoria and Manchester Piccadilly stations.
Just as automatic train control has increased the capacity of Thameslink, it will increase the capacity through Manchester.
Shenfield To Liverpool Street
Crossrail will take over the slow lines and these will probably be subject to automatic train control to handle up to sixteen tph between Stratford and Gidea Park stations.
In addition Greater Anglia have expansion plans and it looks like they’s be running at least twelve tph on the fast lines, almost all of which won’t stop between Stratford and Shenfield.
Will it be decided to add a degree of automatic train control to the new trains on this route?
About The Technology
If anybody is worried about this sort of signalling, the following should be born in mind.
- Most airliners are flown automatically, whilst the pilots monitor everything and take control as required.
- The Victoria Line has used a similar automatic train operation system since it opened in 1968 and currently handles thirty-six tph.
- The original system on the Victoria Line allowed twenty-seven tph. Not bad for a 1960s system, where some of the electronics was based on valves or vacuum tubes.
Remember though, that as in an airliner, there is always somebody monitoring everything for the unexpected.
The Intelligent Multi-Mode Train And Affordable Electrification
Some would say we are at a crisis point in electrification, but I would prefer to call it a crossroads, where new techniques and clever automation will bring the benefits of electric traction to many more rail lines in the UK.
Lines That Need Electric Passenger Services
I could have said lines that need to be electrified, but that is probably a different question, as some lines like the Felixstowe Branch Line need to be electrified for freight purposes, but electric passenger services can be provided without full electrification.
Lines include.
- Ashford to Hastings.
- Borderlands Line.
- Caldervale Line from Preston to Leeds
- Camp Hill Line across Birmingham.
- Huddersfield Line from Manchester to Leeds via Huddersfield.
- Midland Main Line from Kettering to Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield.
- Uckfield Branch Line
There are many others, too numerous to mention.
What Is A Multi-Mode Train?
If a bi-mode train is both electric and diesel-powered, a multi-mode train will have at least three ways of moving.
The Intelligent Multi-Mode Train
The intelligent multi-mode train in its simplest form would be an electric train with these characteristics.
- Electric drive with regenerative braking.
- Diesel or hydrogen power-pack.
- Onboard energy storage to handle the energy generated by braking.
- 25 KVAC and/or 750 VDC operation.
- Automatic pantograph and third-rail shoe deployment.
- Automatic power source selection.
- The train would be designed for low energy use.
- Driver assistance system, so the train was driven safely, economically and to the timetable.
Note the amount of automation to ease the workload for the driver and run the train efficiently.
Onboard Energy Storage
I am sure that both the current Hitachi and Bombardier trains have been designed around energy storage. Certainly, there are several quotes from Bombardier executives that say so.
The first application will be to handle regenerative braking, so that energy can be stored on the train, rather than returned to the electrification.
Onboard energy storage is also important in modern electric trains for other reasons.
- Features like remote train wake-up can be enabled.
- Moving the train short distances in case of power failure.
- When Bombardier started developing the use of onboard energy storage, they stated that one reason was to reduce electrification in depots for reasons of safety.
Onboard energy storage will improve in several ways.
- The energy density will get higher, meaning lighter and smaller storage.
- The energy storage capacity will get higher, meaning greater range.
- The cost of energy storage will become more affordable.
- Energy storage will last longer before needing replacement.
- CAF use a supercapacitor to get fast response and a lithium-ion battery for good capacity.
We underestimate how energy storage will improve over the next few years at our peril.
Automatic Onboard Storage Management
The use of the energy storage will also be optimised for route, passenger load, performance and battery life by the trains automatic power source selection system.
Diesel Power Pack
A conventional diesel power pack to drive the train on lines without electrification.
As the train is electrically-driven, when running under diesel, regenerative braking can still be used, with the generated energy being stored onboard the train.
Hydrogen Power Pack
I believe that hydrogen could be used to generate the electricity required, as it is in some buses.
Operation Of The Multi-Mode Train
I’ve read somewhere that Greater Anglia intend to run their Class 755 trains using electricity, where electrification is available, even if it only for a short distance. This is enabled, by the ability of the train to be able to raise and lower the pantograph quickly and at line speed.
The train’s automatic power source selection will choose the most appropriate power source, from perhaps electrification, stored energy and diesel, based on route, load and the timetable.
Do Any Multi-Mode Trains Exist?
The nearest is probably the Class 800 train, which I believe uses onboard energy storage to handle regenerative braking, as I outlined in Do Class 800/801/802 Trains Use Batteries For Regenerative Braking?.
This article in RailNews is entitled Greater Anglia unveils the future with Stadler mock-up and says this.
The bi-mode Class 755s will offer three or four passenger vehicles, but will also include a short ‘power pack’ car to generate electricity when the trains are not under the wires. This vehicle will include a central aisle so that the cars on either side are not isolated. Greater Anglia said there are no plans to include batteries as a secondary back-up.
So does that mean that Class 755 trains don’t use onboard energy storage to handle regenerative braking?
At the present time, there is no bi-mode Bombardier Aventra.
But in Is A Bi-Mode Aventra A Silly Idea?, I link to an article on Christian Wolmar’s web site, which says that Bombardier are looking into a 125 mph bi-mode Aventra.
My technical brochure for the new Class 769 train, states that onboard energy storage is a possibility for that rebuild of a Class 319 train.
I don’t think it is a wild claim to say that within the next few years, a train will be launched that can run on electric, diesel and onboard stored power.
The Pause Of Electrification
Obviously, for many reasons, electrification of all railway lines is an ideal.
But there are problems.
- Some object to electrification gantries marching across the countryside and through historic stations.
- Network Rail seem to have a knack of delivering electrification late and over budget.
- The cost of raising bridges and other structures can make electrification very bad value for money.
It is for these and other reasons, that the Government is having second thoughts about the direction of electrification.
Is There A Plan?
I ask this question deliberately, as nothing has been disclosed.
But I suspect that not for the first time, the rolling stock engineers and designers seem to be getting the permanent way and electrification engineers out of trouble.
As far as anybody knows, the plan seems to be to do no more electrification and use bi-mode trains that can run under both electrification and diesel-power to provide new and improved services.
Use Of Bi-Mode Trains
Taking a Liverpool to Newcastle service, this would use the electrification to Manchester, around Leeds and on the East Coast Main Line, with diesel power on the unelectrified sections.
If we take a modern bi-mode train like a Class 800 train, some features of the train will help on this route.
- The pantograph can raise or lower as required at line speed.
- It is probably efficient to use the pantograph for short sections of electrification.
- Whether to use the pantograph is probably or certainly should be controlled automatically.
On this route the bi-mode will also be a great help on the fragile East Coast Main Line electrification.
Improving Bi-Mode Train Efficiency
Bi-mode trains may seem to be a solution.
However, as an electrical engineer, I believe that what we have at the moment is rather primitive compared to how the current crop of trains will develop.
Onboard Energy Storage
I said this earlier.
- I am sure that both the current Hitachi and Bombardier trains have been designed to use energy storage.
- CAF use a supercapacitor to get fast response and a lithium-ion battery for good capacity.
This is an extract from the the Wikipedia entry for supercapacitor.
They typically store 10 to 100 times more energy per unit volume or mass than electrolytic capacitors, can accept and deliver charge much faster than batteries, and tolerate many more charge and discharge cycles than rechargeable batteries.
Supercapacitors are used in applications requiring many rapid charge/discharge cycles rather than long term compact energy storage: within cars, buses, trains, cranes and elevators, where they are used for regenerative braking.
Pairing them with a traditional lithium-ion battery seems to be good engineering.
The most common large lithium-ion batteries in public transport use are those in hybrid buses. In London, there are a thousand New Routemaster buses each with a 75 kWh battery.
In the past, there has have been problems with the batteries on New Routemasters and other hybrid buses, but things have improved and I suspect there is a mountain of knowledge both in the UK and worldwide on how to build a reliable, affordable and safe lithium-ion battery in the 75-100 kWh range.
As on the New Routemaster the battery is squeezed under the stairs, these batteries are not massive and I suspect one or more could easily be fitted underneath the average passenger train.
Look at this picture of a Class 321 train.
The space underneath is typical of many electrical multiple units.
How Far Could A Train Travel On Stored Energy?
In an article in the October 2017 Edition of Modern Railways, which is entitled Celling England By The Pound, Ian Walmsley says this in relation to trains running on the Uckfield Branch.
A modern EMU needs between 3 and 5 kWh per vehicle mile for this sort of service.
So if we take a battery from a New Routemaster bus, which is rated at 75 kWh, this would propel a five-car electric multiple unit between three and five miles.
Suppose though you put a battery of this size in every car of the train. This may seem expensive, but a typical car in a multiple unit and a double-deck bus carry about the same number of passengers.
A battery in each car would give advantages, especially in a Bombardier Aventra.
- Most cars in an appear to be powered, so each traction motor would be close to a battery, which must reduce electrical transmission losses and ease regenerative braking.
- Each car would have its own power supply, in case the main supply failed.
- The weight of the batteries is spread along the train.
If you take any Aventra, with a 75 kWh battery in each car, using Ian’s figures, they would be able to run between fifteen and twenty-five miles on battery power alone.
Quotes by Bombardier executives of a fifty mile range don’t look so fanciful.
What Onboard Energy Storage Capacity Would Be Needed For Fifty Miles?
This article in Rail Engineer, which is entitled An Exciting New Aventra, quotes Jon Shaw of Bombardier on onboard energy storage.
As part of these discussions, another need was identified. Aventra will be an electric train, but how would it serve stations set off the electrified network? Would a diesel version be needed as well?
So plans were made for an Aventra that could run away from the wires, using batteries or other forms of energy storage. “We call it an independently powered EMU, but it’s effectively an EMU that you could put the pantograph down and it will run on the energy storage to a point say 50 miles away. There it can recharge by putting the pantograph back up briefly in a terminus before it comes back.
What onboard energy storage capacity would be needed for the quoted fifty miles?
I will use these parameters.
- Ian Walmsley said a modern EMU consumes between 3 and 5 kWh for each vehicle mile.
- All vehicles are powered and there is one battery per vehicle.
This will result in the following battery sizes for different EMU consumption rates.
- 3 kWh/vehicle-mile – 150 kWh
- 4 kWh/vehicle-mile – 200 kWh
- 5 kWh/vehicle-mile – 250 kWh
These figures show that to get a smaller size of battery, you need a very energy-efficient train. At least lighting, air-conditioning and other electrical equipment is getting more efficient.
The 379 IPEMU Experiment On The Mayflower Line
In 2015, I rode the battery-powered Class 379 train on the 11.2 mile long Mayflower Line.
I was told by the engineer monitoring the train on a laptop, that they generally went to Harwich using the overhead electrification, charging the battery and then returned on battery power.
Ian Walmsley in his Modern Railways article says that the batteries on that train had a capacity of 500 kWh.
This works out at just over 11 kWh per vehicle per mile.
Considering this was an experiment conducted on a scheduled passenger service, it fits well with the conssumption quoted in Ian Walmsley’s article.
Crossrail’s Emergency Power
If you look at Crossrail’s Class 345 trains, they are nine cars, with a formation of
DMSO+PMSO+MSO+MSO+TSO+MSO+MSO+PMSO+DMSO
All the Ms mean that eight cars are motored.
Suppose each of the motored cars have a battery of 75 kWh.
- This means a total installed battery size of 600 kWh.
- Suppose the nine-car train needs Ian’s Walmsley’s high value of 5 kWh per vehicle mile to proceed through Crossrail.
- Thus 45 kWh will be needed to move the train for a mile.
- Dividing this into the battery capacity gives the range of 13.3 miles.
If this were Crossrail’s emergency range on stored energy, it would be more than enough to move the train to the next station or place of safety in case of a complete power failure.
Trains Suitable For Onboard Energy Storage
I have a feeling that for any train to run efficiently with batteries, there needs to be a lot of powered axles and batteries distributed along the train.
Aventras certainly have a lot of powered axles and I think Hitachi trains are similar.
Perhaps this explains, why after the successful trial of battery technology on a Class 379 train, it has not been retrofitted to any other Electrostars.
There might not be enough powered axles!
Topping Up The Onboard Energy Storage
There are three main ways to top up the onboard energy storage.
- From regenerative braking.
- From the diesel or hydrogen powerpack.
- From the electrification, where it is available.
The latter is probably the most efficient and is ideal, where a route is partly electrified.
Affordable Electrification
Although the Government has said that there will be no more electrification, I think there will be selective affordable electrification to improve the efficiency of multi-mode trains.
Why Is Electrification Often Late And Over Budget?
The reasons I have found or been told are varied.
- Electrification seems regularly to hit unexpected infrastructure like sewers and cables on older routes.
- There have been examples of poor engineering.
- There is a large amount of Victorian infrastructure like bridges and stations that need to be rebuilt.
- There is a certain amount of opposition from the Heritage lobby.
- Connecting the electrification to the National Grid can be a large cost.
My experience in Project Management, also leads me to believe that although Network Rail seems to plan large station and track projects well, they tend to get in rather a mess with large electrification projects.
Electrification Of New Track
It may only be a personal feeling, but where new track has been laid and it is electrified Network Rail don’t seem to have the same level of problems.
These projects are generally smaller, but also I suspect the track-bed has been well-surveyed and well-built, to give a good foundation for the electrification.
It was interesting to note a few weeks ago at Blackpool, where they are electrifying the line, that Network Rail appeared to be relaying all of the track as well.
I know they were also re-signalling the area, but have Network Rail decided that the best way to electrify the line was a complete rebuild?
Short Lengths Of New Electrification
Short lengths of new electrification could make all the difference on routes using multi-mode trains with onboard energy storage.
As a simple example, I’ll take the Felixstowe Branch Line, that I know well. Ipswwich to Felixstowe is about sixteen miles, which is probably too far for a train running on onboard energy storage. But there are places, where short lengths of electrification would be beneficial to both the Class 755 trains and trains with onboard energy storage.
- Ipswich to Westerfield
- On the section of double-track to be built in 2019.
- Felixstowe station
There is also the large number of diesel-hauled freight trains passing through the area, quite a few of which change to and from electric haulage at Ipswich.
So would some selective short lengths of electrification enable the route to be run by trains using onboard energy storage?
Electrification Of Tunnels
Over the last few years, there has been some very successful electrification of tunnels like the seven kilometre long Severn Tunnel. This is said about the problems of electrification in Wikipedia.
As part of the 21st-century modernisation of the Great Western Main Line, the tunnel was prepared for electrification. It has good clearances and was relatively easy to electrify, although due to its age, the seepage of water from above in some areas provided an engineering challenge. The options of using either normal tunnel electrification equipment or a covered solid beam technology were considered and the decision was made to use a solid beam. Over the length of the tunnel, an aluminium conductor rail holds the copper cable, which is not under tension. A six-week closure of the tunnel started on 12 September 2016. During that time, alternative means of travel were either a longer train journey via Gloucester, or a bus service between Severn Tunnel Junction and Bristol Parkway stations. Also during that time, and possibly later, there were direct flights between Cardiff and London City Airport. The tunnel was reopened on 22 October 2016.
It appears to have been a challenging but successful project.
This type of solid beam electrification has been used successfully by Crossrail and Chris Gibb has suggested using overhead beam to electrify the three tunnels on the Uckfield Branch Line.
In the North of England, there are quite a few long tunnels.
Could these become islands of electrification to both speed the trains and charge the onbosrd energy storage?
Third-Rail Electrification Of Stations
Ian Walmsley in his Modern Railways article proposes using third rail electrification at Uckfield station to charge the onboard energy storage of the trains. He also says this.
This would need only one substation and the third rail could energise only when there is a train on it, like a Bordeaux tram, hence minimal safety risk.
There needs to be some serious thought about how you create a safe, affordable installation for a station.
I also feel there is no need to limit the use of short lengths of third-rail electrification to terminal stations. On the Uckfield Branch, some stations are very rural, but others are in centres of population and/or industry, where electricity to power a short length of third-rail might be available.
Overhead Beams In Stations
This picture shows the Seville trams, which use an overhead beam at stops to charge their onboard energy storage.
Surely devices like these can be used in selective stations, like Hull, Scarborough and Uckfield.
Third-Rail Electrification On Bridges And Viaducts
Some bridges and high rail viaducts like the Chappel Viaduct on the Gainsborough Line, present unique electrification problems.
- It is Grade II Listed.
- Would overhead electrification gantries be welcomed by the heritage lobby?
- It is 23 metres high.
- Would this height present severe Health and Safety problems for work on the line?
- The viaduct is 320 metres long.
Could structures like this be electrified using third-rail methods?
- The technology is proven.
- As in stations, it could only be switched on when needed.
- The electrification would not be generally visible.
The only minor disadvantage is that dual-voltage trains would be needed. But most trains destined for the UK market are designed to work on both systems.
Getting Power To Short Lengths Of Electrification
One thing that is probably needed is innovation in powering these short sections of electrification.
Conclusion
There are a very large number of techniques that can enable a multi-mode train to roam freely over large parts of the UK.
It is also a team effort, with every design element of the train, track, signalling and stations contributing to an efficient low-energy train, that is not too heavy.
?
A Town With Two Stations And Infrequent Rail Services
My Google Alert for the Robin Hood Line has picked up this article from the Gainsborough Standard, which is entitled Rail Campaigners Continue Fight For Better Brigg Line Service Through Gainsborough.
Gainsborough Central station, which appears to be in the centre of the town gets just three services a week, all on a Saturday, whereas Gainsborough Lea Road station has a better service according to Wikipedia.
Monday to Saturdays on the Sheffield-Lincoln Line there is generally an hourly service westbound to Sheffield, with the majority of services continuing to Adwick, and eastbound to Lincoln Central with a two-hourly service on Sundays from early afternoon. There is also one early morning service to Scunthorpe and one evening service to Hull.
In total, it is probably enough services for a twenty thousand people .
But with a new franchise for the East Midlands coming up, you do wonder, if plans to increase services through Gainsborough Central could be in the offing. This is said in the Wikipedia entry for Gainsborough Central station.
The line through the station was upgraded and refurbished in 2008 by contractors Arup and Carillon to allow it to carry increased levels of freight traffic from the port complex at Immingham to South Yorkshire and the East Midlands. This has been done to reduce congestion on the busy route via Scunthorpe.
So at least the track would appear to be in good order.
Arriva London Engineering Assists In Trial To Turn Older Diesel Engine Powered Buses Green
The title of this post, is the same as that of an article on the Arriva London web site.
This sums up the project.
A new idea to turn older diesel engine buses into much more environmentally friendly vehicles has been developed by Vantage Power Ltd based in Greenford, West London in association with Ensign Ltd, the largest reseller of buses in the UK.
The new unit will start trials in July, when two of Arriva London’s 2005, Volvo B7TL, Euro 3 buses, with Alexander Dennis bodies, VLA99 and VLA100 will resume service following their conversion. The trials are fully supported by TfL.
Effectively two twelve year old buses will become hybrids with new electric drive systems.
The objectives of the project are ambitious.
The new system will be tested to see how well it performs against its targets of 40% reduction in the use of fuel, 80%+ reduction in emissions, and a cost saving for the unit which is estimated to be 80% less than a new Hybrid bus.
They are also developing a technique called geo-fence technology. This is said.
This technology, uses GPS information combined with route information, and can enable the vehicle to ensure its batteries are at full charge before entering certain areas (such as the ULEZ), or past schools, or libraries, and upon entering these areas, the engine can shut itself down and the vehicle then operate as an almost silent ZEV (Zero Emission Vehicle).
So the buses get new hybrid drives, which work as battery buses in sensitive areas and London gets cleaner air. And Arriva London gets a cashback!
I wonder how many old buses can be converted into cleaner hybrids. This conversion was on a Volvo B7TL chassis, of which there were 790 in London alone.
I also wonder if London’s current hybrid buses can have the geo-fence technology applied.
Close to my house there are six London bus routes, that go into or through the ULEX; namely routes 21, 30, 38, 56, 76 and 141 of which the 21, 38 and 76 are New Routemasters, which are modern hybrid buses. In addition, the 141 is run by seven-year-old hybrid buses. These routes would all be candidates for geo-fence technology.
The Anonymous Widower 